Programs
Genes on Trial: Genetics, Behavior and the Law
From the 3-part series Our Genes/Our Choices (2003)

He's an alcoholic and aggressive to the point of violence. But is he responsible for his behavior if it can be traced to a genetic marker in his DNA? Could genetic research stigmatize people who carry a "bad" gene? Could their behavior actually be determined by that gene? If so, then just how free is free will? "Genes on Trial" raises challenging questions about the social, ethical, and legal quandaries surrounding genetic research, and about the limits of personal responsibility. Panelists include U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, defense attorney Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. and Francis S. Collins, National Human Genome Research Institute.

Funders: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation; the National Human Genome Research Institute; the National Science Foundation; the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science